Medical Assistant Programs Hampstead MD - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant School near Hampstead Maryland

Hampstead MD medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to enter the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Hampstead MD, it’s time to choose a school that will furnish the right training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately enroll in the best one? Many potential students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important factors also. You may decide to take a look at a few online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more on that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you must finish your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the schools you are evaluating. And to assist you with that process, we have included some questions that you need to ask all of the colleges on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are offered.

The Function of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Hampstead MD nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Primarily their function is to make sure that the Hampstead MD hospitals, clinics and other healthcare centers where they work operate efficiently. Depending on the size or type of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with giving direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other medical professionals but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few of the many duties of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Providing general support during exams and procedures

Although medical assistants may perform almost any task they are qualified to under Maryland law, some opt to specialize in a particular area and attain certification. Two of the options available are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training Programs

Compared to many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Hampstead MD health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are basically two choices offered for a formal education. The first and quickest way to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a certificate or diploma. These programs normally take about 1 year to finish, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs provided at community and junior colleges as well as technical and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They often have a practical component requiring an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Hampstead MD There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs accessible online also. They are an excellent choice for those who might not have time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue to work full time while earning their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, many online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Supplemental expenses including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be minimized also. But remember that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be performed in Hampstead MD area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of receiving your training may be the right choice for you. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good idea for those who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in securing a job after graduation, but it can also enhance initial salary negotiations. Many potential Hampstead MD medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. Among the most popular and possibly the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to sit for the CMA examination, a candidate must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered as well, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Hampstead MD medical assistant programs Prior to reviewing your medical assistant school options, you need to choose which kind of credential you would like to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. As soon as those choices have been made, you can start the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, some students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to Hampstead MD with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you should look at when assessing schools. To help you with that task, below are some questions that you need to ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to make certain that the college you choose is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must complete an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged organizations for accreditation are the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). If your program is not accredited by one of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, a number of potential Hampstead MD employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you must find out which of the certifications the schools you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will need to enroll in a program targeting that certification. Second, learn what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is one of the ways to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Of course programs with lower rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Programs are Offered? As we previously covered, there are essentially two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can decide to earn an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take approximately 2 years to finish in a junior college or vocational school. Whatever program you choose to enroll in, verify that the schools you are considering offer the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? A large number of medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Hampstead MD area medical providers. They are a great means to obtain hands-on practical training and experience. They may also assist students establish relationships within the Hampstead health care community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Support Supplied? Landing that very first job may be a difficult undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they have some help from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Hampstead MD area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also signifies that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size can be an indicator of how much personal attention you will get during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish increased access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a few classes before selecting a college to experience what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s important that the college you enroll in provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Hampstead MD, confirm that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online school, but you will still need to schedule all internships or clinical training that will be required. Also, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Hampstead Maryland?

If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Hampstead MD area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.

Hampstead, Maryland

Between 1736 and 1738, Robert Owings was assigned to "cut a new road as Christopher Gist had marked it" south from Conewago (now Hanover, Pennsylvania) to a point about halfway to Fort Garrison in Baltimore County. The village of Spring Garden became a stage-line stop on the new road and later became the town of Hampstead, named after Hampstead, in England.[6] The first settlers to the area were English immigrants who made their way west from the Port of Philadelphia. They were followed by Scots and Germans. Hampstead was used by farmers from surrounding areas as a center to obtain goods brought from Baltimore and to send produce to markets in Baltimore and Pennsylvania. The level and fertile land, coupled with the availability of lime, gave farmers important advantages for successful farming. In 1879, the Harrisburg Division of the Western Maryland Railroad reached Hampstead. The accessibility of the railroad attracted new residents and made dairy farming profitable.[citation needed]

Hampstead has developed from a farming community to a modern town of about 6,300 residents. Community activities center around the town’s numerous organizations and its schools - Hampstead Day, the Christmas Village, and school sporting events, for examples.

Hampstead’s Town Office was once located in a side room of the old First National Bank building on Main Street. (This building is now the Police Department’s station.) During the Depression the bank closed and was later purchased by Mayor Les Wheeler, who in 1950 rented it to the Town. In the late 1960s the Town Office moved to the basement of Hampstead Baptist Church on S. Carroll Street. In 1980 the church moved into a larger structure along Route 30 and Town Office, along with the Police Department, was able to utilize the entire building on S. Carroll Street. In 2000 the Police Department moved into the old First National Bank building, now fully restored - bringing the Town full circle. Although the Mayor and Council had the authority since 1888 to appoint constables, it wasn’t until the 1950s that James Boone became the Town’s first official police officer.

Enroll in the Best Medical Assistant Training Hampstead MD

Hampstead MD medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant school that will furnish the right training. Regardless if you’re goal is to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you must get the appropriate information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are so many schools offering training these days that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, verify that the program you decide on is accredited by an acknowledged organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Programs. But irrespective of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have supplied in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the right program you can subsequently start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Hampstead MD.